How does the joke go again? Four graduates of Calvin College walk out on the stage….and how much beer is left in the green room at the end of the show?
Ok, so maybe the stereotypes of the past are shaking up with each passing year. And if that's true (and I think it is), then we can thank local comic groups like Pop Scholars for their contribution of sacrificing more sacred cows on stage than in all of the entire Old Testament. Pop Scholars, comprised of improvisational comics Matt Sterenberg, Dave Lyzenga, Andy Allen and Mike Ryskamp, simply put on a bloody good show.
In keeping with a comic’s role of being a good observer, the troupe formed with a goal of showcasing a bit of the ol’ short form improv style (think Whose Line Is it Anyway?, improv games) but added long form since no one was really exploring this style locally.
The long form is, as folks who travel to Chicago, Toronto, and other large markets know, when an idea procured from the audience is later explored on stage via a 15-25 minute story created that night.
“We hope that if you come to a show, you’ll just think, 'This was a really, really fun two hours,’” says Allen. “Think about it like this: we're the type of guys that watch documentaries on Sushi and read Wikipedia for fun -- but still love Nintendo 64.”
The night’s format is filled with fun games, an intermission with access to great Michigan beer (if you are a member of the Wealthy Theatre) and then a long-form presentation wholly created from the audience’s suggestion to wrap the night up with even bigger laughs.?
Admission: $7
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